Kick off the frosty new year with a Home Energy Squad visit

Posted by Dana Thorgrimson | Date January 19, 2016

Working as an energy counselor at CEE is extremely rewarding. I help homeowners to get informed, save money, and reduce energy waste in their homes. At each home visit, our two-person team runs tests and diagnostics, installs energy-saving products, and makes recommendations for energy upgrades. We customize our visit to the different needs of each individual home and homeowner.

I truly believe that all homeowners can benefit from a Home Energy Squad visit, especially now. During the heating season we all start to think more about our home’s energy consumption and how to reduce it. Many homeowners turn to Home Energy Squad.

In a quick visit we can accomplish a lot, and I thought it would be helpful to answer some of our frequently asked questions:

Am I eligible for a Home Energy Squad visit?

Home Energy Squad is a program provided by CenterPoint Energy and Xcel Energy. You are eligible for a Home Energy Squad visit if you’re both a CenterPoint Energy natural gas customer and an Xcel Energy electric customer.

Center for Energy and Environment delivers the program for the utilities. We partner with the cities of Bloomington, Edina, Fridley, Hopkins, Minneapolis, New Hope, Plymouth, Richfield, and St. Louis Park — and the cities pay part of the costs for visits, making it an even better value for the homeowner.

What does a Home Energy Squad visit include?

The Home Energy Squad visit fee covers the installation of energy-efficient products including:

Door weather stripping

A water heater blanket

Programmable thermostat

Compact fluorescent light bulbs

High-efficiency showerheads

Faucet aerators

If you are in a partnering city, we will also perform a blower door test to measure your home for air leaks, complete an insulation inspection, safety check your home’s heating system and water heater, and provide recommendations for your home.

How long will the visit take?

Visit length varies, and can last up to two and half hours. We’ll determine the right visit length for your home when you schedule your appointment.

Do I need to be there?

Yes, at least one homeowner needs to be present and able to participate in the visit. The visit’s greatest value is discussing the unique characteristics of each home with its owner. We want to be able to talk about the specific energy issues in your home and help you figure out how to save money and energy.

What about pets?

As much as we love pets, we wouldn’t want Fido to run out the door while we are bringing in and setting up our equipment. To be safe, we ask that you put your pet in a kennel or a separate room during the visit.

What if my house is messy?

I hear this one a lot, and frankly, we are there for the energy efficiency — that’s it. We just ask for clear access to your attic, your furnace, and your water heater, and we are good to go.

Do I need to provide a ladder or tools?

We bring all our own equipment. You don’t need to provide a thing.

How do I sign up?

To receive a Home Energy Squad visit, call our scheduler Beth Greeninger at 612-335-5874 or go online to mncee.org/HES. And the sooner the better — with winter in full swing, visits are filling up fast!

While these may be the most common questions we get asked, you can ask us anything when you call to schedule a date or during your visit. Do you have one super drafty room that you can’t seem to figure out? Are you wondering what the best energy investment would be for your home? We can help tackle these questions and more at your home visit.

Here in Minnesota we know that when the temperature drops, the heating bills spike. Home Energy Squad Enhanced can help lower your bills and improve the comfort of your home — while also giving you peace of mind that you’re doing everything you can to be energy efficient.